June 4, 2007

Penang’s medical standards laudable

NST: GEORGE TOWN: The state’s medical standards are on par with that of developed nations.
Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon said based on the 800 people to one doctor ratio, which was the same in European countries, Penang could be considered a “developed” medical state.
“However, we must continue to improve our medical standards, and maybe in the next 10 years we can catch up with the United States, which has a patient-doctor ratio of 400 to one,” he said when launching the state Gerakan health care campaign at SJK (C) Han Chiang yesterday.
More than 1,000 people turned up at the school to have their blood pressure and bone density checked.
There were also counters set up by health product companies, offering samples of products such as cultured milk and unpolished rice.
Children were not left out of the campaign as a colouring contest was organised for them. They were also given e-worming medicine by medical officers.
At the event, Koh also reiterated the government’s commitment to improve its health services. He said the authorities had never failed to upgrade its health and medical facilities over the years.
“We have good facilities. For example, Penang has five heart centres in a state of only 1.5 million people,” he said, adding that these centres not only served the region but also patients from Singapore, Indonesia and Europe.
The state government was also actively promoting Penang as a centre for pharmaceutical and nutriceutical research, he said.
“We have persuaded the federal government to set up one of three biotechnology institutes at the Universiti Sains Malaysia campus.”